(Submitted)
A warm summer night provided the perfect backdrop for even hotter racing action at Brighton Speedway on Saturday.
A full race card saw 73 cars from six divisions dialed in for the Labour Day event.
Double checkers for Hennessy
No. 87 Andrew Hennessy jumped on the lead from his runner up position at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished the point for 28-laps of the Vanderlaan Building Products Late Model 30-lap main-event. For 15 solid laps No. 5 Steve Baldwin proved to be Hennessy’s toughest contender. But with Hennessy just coming off a feature win in the Canadian Modified feature, nothing was going to keep the 87 from tasting victory again. He treated his fast and furious team mate Charlie Sandercock to a game of cat and mouse as the 57 slipped into second on the 16th time by. Hennessy played catch me if you can until the race was brought to an end at lap 28 for a medical emergency. Long-time racer, former Late Model champ and treasured member of the Brighton Speedway family No. 29 Phil Potts of Fowl Mood Racing was taken hospital and we all are hoping for a speedy recovery. Get well soon Stompin’ Phil Potts.
Hennessy placed first, Sandercock second, Baldwin third, No. 7 Adam Nayler fourth and No. 77 Caley Weese fifth.
No. 07 Curtis King looked like he was well on his way to victory lane for the first time this season in the Bainer’s Oil GARD 25-lap feature race. King put the hammer down and led for nine-laps even as No. 32 Doug O’Blenis and No 87 Andrew Hennessy waged an epic side-by-side war on the 07. King went door to door with O’Blenis. On lap 13 O’Blenis shot into the lead where he stayed for 10 consecutive laps. Hennessy continued to drive hard on the inside and with two laps to go he muscled his way to the lead and on to victory lane leaving O’Blenis to take a well earned second.
King also achieved a well deserved third place, No. 12 Adam Whaley was fourth and No. 3 Nathan Rinaldi fifth.
Ramsay rolls to victory lane
It took Justin Ramsay 5-laps to work his No. 03 machine past pole sitter No. 92 Adam Turner on Saturday night. With Ramsay on the high side and Turner clutching the inside, the pair went toe-to-toe for 15 exhilarating laps in the Brighton Automotive Thunder Stock 20-lap feature. Ramsay went on to victory lane, with Turner in second. No. 85 Austin Reid placed third, No. 53 Wade Purchase was fourth and No. 17 Jeff Humphry finished fifth.
Back-to-back wins for Bailey
Hungry for a repeat victory No. 44 Tommy Bailey pushed his way into the lead from his fourth starting position on the third time by in the Bill’s Johns Comp 4 15-lap event. Bailey never gave up the point and waived checkers for the second night in a row. No. 15 Josh Boggard finished second. No. 7 Anthony Rinaldi was third (1st in the Mini-stock division), No. 55 Adam Milton placed fourth and No. 85 Brittany Golden finished fifth.
Rhodes and Fletcher pick up wins
No. 42jr Aiden Fletcher took a mere two laps to snap up the lead from his fourth starting position in the 12-lap Quinte Septic combined Stinger race. Fletcher was unstoppable as No. 18 Carter Rhodes charged through the pack from ninth place and into the front on lap 7. Rhodes made it to victory lane first in the Junior Stinger division, Fletcher crossed the finish line second, taking first in the Sr. Stinger division. No. 7 Rick Phillips placed third, No. 95 Chris Lammle took fourth and No. 1 Austin Vallier was fifth.
